Penny's Boat
by Oyashenron
Summary: Three words can shake the entire world forever. Charlie receives a very different message in the Looking Glass, causing a shift in the entire Lost universe. When the survivors - along with their new friends - are all rescued, how will their lives change?
1. Everything Changes

**_PENNY'S BOAT_**

_CHAPTER 1: EVERYTHING CHANGES_

Charlie's elation was overwhelming. _I did it! We're all saved and I don't have to-_ His thoughts, his very future was smashed into a thousand tiny pieces as the porthole exploded inward, knocking him off his feet in a massive rush of water.

He dashed to the hatch door and slammed it shut, ignoring Desmond's manic protests. _One last message. One last chance._ Charlie thought to himself as he grabbed a marker from the communications desk.

In large letters on his left palm, he wrote the last words he would ever communicate to another human being. The last message he would ever deliver. Fitting really, that the writer of so many wonderful songs would end it all with a few short words.

Desmond shouted in anguish, "CHARLIE! YOU CAN MAKE IT! WE'LL MAKE IT OUT TOGETHER!!!" He continued pounding on the porthole until he saw them, the words that would change everything. This simple communication would shatter the destiny he thought inevitable.

Three words. _It's_ _Penny's Boat!_

Hurley sat staring into the distance. The ocean had always seemed endless; stretching out until it met the horizon. The blue sky and the blue ocean's meeting almost made it seem like the island was floating in mid-air. Hurley smiled at the thought and looked at Bernard, the old dentist he'd met… He couldn't even really count the days now. The island had almost become his life.

"You know what?" Hurley asked.

"What, Hurley?" Bernard asked with a smile.

"I've sat on this beach for months now, staring out at that ocean, and… I wanna do a cannonball." Hurley responded, grinning from ear to ear.

Bernard put a hand on Hurley's shoulder and nodded reassuringly, "Hurley, if you want to do a cannonball: Cannonball."

Juliet threw another shovelful of dirt aside. She was lost in thought, wondering how events would play out from here. _How long has it been now? 3 years. And now after all this time… Can I really… Can I really go home?_

"What're you gonna tell 'em?" Sawyer asked.

Juliet turned in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"When that boat shows up, there'll be lotsa questions. Some little man from Oceanic's gonna show up with his clipboard and start callin' our names. What d'you think is gonna happen when they realize there's no Juliet Burke in the manifest?"

"That's quite simple really." Sayid - who had just finished collecting the guns the fallen Others had carried - answered, "Shannon told me… everything about herself, about her life before the crash. Including details about Boone. For the time being, we will pretend that Juliet is Shannon and Desmond is Boone. It's a tough fit since both are older than their new identities, but I doubt there will be any background checks. Oceanic will just be rushing to get this problem dealt with since - Need I say? - accidents like this are bad for business."

Sawyer looked at Sayid in surprise, "You're up for that, Mohammed?"

Sayid gave Juliet a look that, in Sayid's rather solemn set of expressions, constituted a smile of approval, "They helped us call for rescue and defeat the enemy at the gates. The least we can do is bring them home. And anyway, we need to make sure nobody ever finds out about what happened here."

"Why? What do you mean?" Juliet asked.

"A number of us are now what would be considered murderers in the outside world. Our circumstances were dire, but even that might not save us the trouble of an investigation into the events that occurred after the crash. We're going to have to remove the grave markers we've set up and mask the graves. As far as Oceanic and the authorities are concerned, the marshal, Boone, Shannon, Ana Lucia, Libby, and Eko were all killed in the crash. Since the hatch, Rousseau's camp, and the Flame have all been destroyed, we don't have to worry about any structures being located by investigators checking the areas around the beach camp. We need only pull the beech craft back over the Pearl to ensure all traces of the Dharma Initiative are erased from this vicinity." Sayid responded. He had hesitated before mentioning the graves. Nobody wanted to disrespect the dead, but they had themselves to worry about now.

Sawyer looked down in thought, "Say now what happens if blondie here's friends decide to come back for round two?"

Juliet shook her head, "They won't. Once we're rescued they'll have no reason to come back here. They aren't dumb enough to try anything that would antagonize the government. As far as they're concerned, as long as they can live on this island in peace, there's no problem. Although…"

Sayid nodded, "Benjamin Linus. He'll want vengeance for this humiliation. He's lost the object of his desire-" Juliet cringed as Sayid continued, "-and a good number of his people. As far as I can tell, despite the calm façade, Benjamin is a very vengeful and dangerous man. We'd be wise to ensure he remains trapped on this island forever."

Sawyer cracked open another beer, "Well then I guess we'd better send the bug eyed bastard packin'. We gonna banish him or will it be…" Sawyer made a slashing gesture across his throat.

Juliet frowned, looking out at the water. "Either way it doesn't matter, but do we really need more blood on our hands?" She asked, looking from Sayid to Sawyer, "I think maybe we should just live and let-"

Sayid followed her gaze to the ocean where Desmond was rowing the outrigger back to shore. He noted the absence of Charlie and looked further down the beach to where Hurley was swimming joyfully.

"Come on. We have work to do." Sayid said solemnly.


	2. The Journey Home

PENNY'S BOAT

CHAPTER 2: THE JOURNEY HOME

Jack stared down at Naomi's corpse in a rage. _Locke's gone too far now._ _I used to think maybe he was just eccentric, but this is… He's insane._ He looked around at the gathered group of survivors. _If these people are going to get home, I have to stop that psychopath. _

He noticed Kate had joined him. She leaned in and whispered, "What are we going to do about this? About Naomi?"

"I'm going to finish something that was started a long time ago. I'm gonna have to kill Locke." Jack answered. His voice betrayed his anger at John's actions. Kate looked surprised that he'd be so open about his plan for a moment, but turned away again as she realized he was right. John Locke had done everything he could to stop them from leaving the island. The only way they'd escape with their lives is if he was taken out of the picture. Still, she felt saddened that they'd come to this. About a hundred days ago they'd been doctors and accountants and salesmen, and now they were prepared to kill to survive. She knew they would all be changed forever by their experiences on the island.

"Kate… We need to talk about something…" Jack said firmly.

"About what?" Kate asked, but she'd felt this coming for a long time.

"About what happens next and about where we go from here. We're probably never going to be able to tell anyone what really happened here. Hell, who'd believe it if we did? But I just want to say that… We can also lie for you. A lot of people died in that plane crash, for all the world knows, maybe Kate Austen was one of them. You can get a fresh start."

"And what about you, Jack? Where do you go from here? Do we…?"

"Kate… I think we'll always share this experience, and I'll always treasure you as one of the best friends I've ever had, but nothing more. It's not your fault any more than it is mine, but I've been hurt a lot. I've spent my whole life bearing the world on my shoulders. When I was down there in the Hydra… I felt that weight start to tumble down, like I'd been defeated at last, but then… Then I realized there was someone who could help me, someone who could share the load, and it… It just wasn't you, Kate."

Kate looked down at the ground, then turned back to Jack. Surprisingly, while she looked sad, there was a touch of relief in her face, "I understand. Wow… That felt weird, but I mean it. We're too different, Jack. Maybe in cheap romance novels that doesn't mean anything, but in the real world you have to find someone who can walk down the same road as you. I get what you meant about the load we have to bare, because I've found someone to help with the weight I've been holding."

Kate finished and stared out at the other survivors silently. Jack didn't speak. He didn't need to. They understood each other perfectly. Jack and Kate's flirtation had begun soon after they awoke after the crash, but it had never really gotten past that phase. Just an idle flirtation. But when Kate had found herself isolated after being outed as a fugitive, she'd become close with Sawyer. They'd found a connection in their shared hardships before the crash. Two outlaws. Always running.

Kate frowned. _I felt like I couldn't finish it like this. I felt like I needed to stay away from Sawyer. Because of Wayne. But if I run away from my past, I'll be running forever. That's not what I want to do anymore. The marathon is finished, hand me a water bottle!_

Just then, there came a shout from Claire, "They're back! They did it!" Jack and Kate jumped up and ran to the tree-line where Sawyer, Juliet, Desmond, Bernard, Hurley, Sayid, and Jin were waiting.

Jack smiled at Juliet, "I thought I told you not to do anything stupid."

"I remember saying something similar to you." They embraced warmly, the anxiety of years of being isolated - Juliet by the island and Jack by his own personal torment - washed away like the many scraps of metal that had once stood on the beach as a reminder of where they came from. They let themselves feel truly safe for that one moment before the cold, sharp claws of reality tore their perfect world apart.

"Where's Charlie?" Claire asked.

The whole group looked on solemnly as Hurley stepped forward, "Ch-Charlie's dead. He died to…" Hurley couldn't finish before he burst into tears and wrapped his arms around Claire, holding on to her tightly as if afraid she'd drift away if he let go.

Desmond stepped up, looking weary, but determined, "Ah don't really know what he saw in there or what really happened, but… Charlie gave his life to save us and to tell us that the flashes were true. It _is_ Penny's ship. Ah think we should all remember this. Charlie was a hero. He's the reason we're getting home. That wee little man we all thought so little of turned out to be the best of us all."

Everyone stood silently for a moment. Rose whispered a prayer and the whole group at once stared into the sky. Raindrops started falling, soaking them, washing the memories of the crash away and promising rebirth. Every sparkling droplet held Charlie's reflection. The hero who had made the ultimate sacrifice. This moment of mourning was shattered by the sound of footsteps through the mud.

John Locke stood at edge of the group, smiling.

"What the hell do you want, John?!" Jack demanded.

"Just this."

With that Locke threw a knife directly into Juliet's chest.


	3. Confrontation

PENNY'S BOAT

CHAPTER 3: CONFRONTATION

Juliet stumbled and fell. The wound was bleeding profusely. Jack ran to her side. As Locke turned to walk away, Jack stood. The expression on his face showed nothing but rage.

"Why?" Jack spat through his teeth, "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" He walked forward step by step, matching his words.

Locke looked at him with his trademark "You'd never understand." expression. He frowned, "She was a traitor. A danger to us all. I came all this way to dispose of that threat."

Jack stopped, seething, and stared at Locke. Animalistic madness filled his eyes, "She helped us you worthless son of a bitch! She left her comfortable life at the Barracks to help US! And you! You were so proud you weren't a useless cripple anymore that you thought you'd help us all out by murdering Boone and Naomi and now this! I've got a plan now John. First, I'm going to kill you. Then I'm taking Juliet and everyone else to that freighter and we're getting out of here together!"

"The island will never let you-"

"RAAAH!!!" Jack punched Locke square in the face, dropping him. He hit him again and again, pounding his rival turned insane nemesis deeper and deeper into the mud. He grabbed the sidearm from Locke's belt and pressed it into his forehead.

"Nobody needs to watch this." Jack shouted through the pouring rain. Hurley turned Claire away from the gruesome scene. Rousseau covered Alex's eyes.

"You can't do this, Jack. It's not our destiny to leave this island. It won't let me die! I'm the chosen one! Only I can-"

"Goodbye, John."

_**BLAM!**_

Daniel twitched nervously. He was excited to finally get to the island they'd spent so long searching for, but a certain sense of dread had overtaken him. His sister had assured him that nothing bad could happen so long as they had the mercenaries to protect them, but he was still apprehensive.

Legend had it that in this area there was an island that could appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. The locals they'd met onshore had said that nobody would go anywhere near the places the island had been spotted and that prehistoric creatures and undead cannibals roamed the place. Daniel was a man of science, not a big believer in the supernatural, but even he felt a little chilled by the ghost stories.

He walked down the deck toward his quarters, but stopped when he noticed Penny staring off into the night sky at the railing. He walked over and leaned back, looking up at the stars.

"Sooo… I finally get to meet this Desmond huh?" Dan asked with a smile.

"If Charlie was right, then yes. Des is here. After so many years I've finally managed to find him." Penny answered, positively glowing.

"So how exactly did he come to be on an island in the middle of the Pacific… I mean… How does something like that happen?"

"Lord only knows. Desmond always did have a strong will. When he decided he was going to do something, he was going to do it. He became a monk, joined the army, and finally entered a sailing competition. That was the last time I ever saw him."

"Pen?"

"Yes, Dan?"

"I'm really glad my mother found you. I've never had a real family before. Not really. But now it's like… like I have a purpose beyond just researching and studying all the time. I can do something."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the head of the mercenaries. The tall man saluted, "We're making our approach. We should be just off the shoreline of the island within two hours. Then I'll launch the zodiacs."

Penny straightened, all business once again. Dan almost chuckled when he realized how much she could be like their father, "Thank you. How's your group holding up?"

The mercenary leader frowned, "I've locked Martin in the brig. I think he's gone a little off during the voyage. That's not to say he wasn't always a few good eggs short of breakfast."

Penny looked out over the railing, then back to the merc, "A lot of the crew have been acting strangely since we located the island. I want you to keep an eye on them. Especially Regina. She and Naomi are… close… and I think she's a little anxious to get her back on board. Keep Keamy locked up until after we've collected Des and the others, I don't want those poor souls facing any more trouble than they're due."

"You got it, ma'am. No trouble 'til we reach Tahiti. I'll have Omar guard him." The mercenary responded steadfastly.

Penny smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Austen."


	4. Salvation

PENNY'S BOAT

CHAPTER 4: SALVATION

Jack pulled himself to his feet. He let the gun slip from his hands as he breathed heavily, "You made me- You made me do that, John." There came no response from the corpse that was once John Locke. Just a silence that chilled Jack to the bone. _A few months ago he was just a guy on my plane. Now… What has this place done to me?_

"We have to get help or she's gonna die, brotha!" Desmond shouted from behind. Jack turned, snapped out of his trance. He dashed back to Juliet and picked up the satellite phone.

"Minkowski?!" He demanded.

"I hear you loud and clear, Jack. There's been some trouble on our end, but things are-"

"There's no time. A woman's been stabbed here, we need help right now!"

"What? Who did this? Put Naomi on."

"Naomi is… Naomi's dead. A man named John Locke who was on our flight went crazy a few days in after he saw something in the jungle. He murdered Naomi and now he's attacked… someone else. You have to get here ASAP!"

"Shit… Alright I'm sending a chopper out with our doctor. What's the status on this guy Locke?"

"He's… he's dead. I had to shoot him."

"Jesus. Okay sit tight, we'll be right with you."

Jack disconnected the sat. phone and began inspecting the wound. The knife hadn't penetrated anything vital, but there was heavy bleeding. Juliet had an hour at most. Hurley knelt down next to Jack.

"Dude, what do we do?" Hurley asked with concern. He looked a little nauseas at the sight of so much blood, but he'd come a long way since the incident with Mars. Jack looked up at Hurley with a panicked expression. Hurley had never seen him like this.

"Hurley, there's a helicopter coming toward us right this moment. I need you to get everyone together and build a signal fire so they'll see us through all this rain. I realize it'll be nearly impossible in this weather, but if they miss us-" Jack didn't need to finish.

Hurley nodded, "You got it, dude. Fire coming right up." With that he gathered a small group to begin constructing the fire.

Jack turned to see Sayid whispering to the other survivors one by one. They were all nodding silently as the soldier went on to the next person. Finally Sayid came to Jack.

"Jack…" He leaned in, "It has been decided that we will not tell anyone in the outside world about our experiences here. There was no hatch, no Others, no Dharma Initiative. We just sat on that beach waiting for rescue. We're going to pass off Desmond and Juliet as Boone and Shannon until we get to the mainland, at which point they can make a break for it and regroup with us if they like later. Do you understand?"

Jack grimaced, "Yeah, I get it, Sayid, but right now my number one priority is getting us of this island alive." He looked down at the rapidly fading, Juliet, "All of us."

Dan clung tightly to his seat. The helicopter was swerving about rather haphazardly and he found himself wondering if Lapidus had been drinking again. He looked up and around the chopper at the assembled team. Ray, the ship's doctor had been pulled out of his sick bay to help with the injured woman. He looked a little miffed that he'd had to go out in the field. Next to him sat Sam Austen, the head of security for the expedition. He didn't talk very much, but Dan had been told by Naomi that he was once a legitimate soldier and had given up a cushy government position for his job on the freighter. It didn't make a lot of sense. Miles Straume sat next to Daniel. The short, Asian man was supposed to be some sort of medium. He seemed like a good guy, if a little rough round the edges. Hanging out of the side door, searching for any sign of the survivors was Charlotte Lewis. Daniel had sensed a weird tenseness from her ever since the freighter had come within a few miles of the island, but couldn't figure out what was making her so nervous. She was a sort of adventurer archaeologist, so it had to be something really daunting to faze her. Daniel looked up at the cockpit. Inside sat Frank Lapidus, a drunkard jack-of-all-trades pilot who had been assigned to Oceanic Flight 815 the day it crashed. If not for oversleeping, he'd be dead… or worse.

"There! There's a signal fire down there!" Charlotte cried out.

Frank looked back from the pilot's chair, "Everybody hold on tight, we're coming in a little rough in this weather. And- _SHIT!_ Something's screwing with my instruments!"

Daniel frowned, "Careful, Frank. These aren't normal conditions. There's something very wrong about this whole situation."

Jack looked up as a spotlight shone down on the survivors surrounding the signal fire. He held Juliet's hand tightly, "See that? They're here. Y-You're gonna be alright. Just hold on a few more minutes." Tears were starting to run down his face. Jack had never felt so scared in his life. _You've taken so much away from me._ He thought, not sure who or what he was addressing, _Please don't take her. Not again. I can't…_"

"We're saved! My God, he did it!" Sawyer shouted as the chopper descended. The blades blew everyone back as it set down in the mud. Everyone stared in awe as six figures stepped out of the helicopter. One stepped forward slowly.

"My name is Daniel Widmore. I'm here to rescue you!"


	5. Interrogation

_**PENNY'S BOAT**_

_CHAPTER 5: INTERROGATION_

The helicopter rose up slowly into the night sky. Charlotte, Miles, and Sam had stayed behind to organize the survivors while Daniel, Ray, Jack, and Lapidus carried Juliet onto the craft for the first flight out. They would send back more men in the zodiacs upon arrival.

Ray had removed the knife and was carefully tending Juliet's wound (as carefully as he could considering the circumstances). Jack had tried to help, but his hands were shaking and Daniel quickly suggested he sit down.

"So you've been here on this island ever since the crash?" Daniel asked.

Jack rubbed his face, "Uh- Yeah, yeah we've been here for… 90... 91 days now."

Daniel smiled reassuringly, but appeared concerned nevertheless, "Have you made a count of the survivors yet? Do you know who's alive and who's not?"

"We tried taking a census a few days in, but it wasn't finished. I'd say there were about 70 survivors. A few people drowned in the ocean or were impaled on tree limbs during the crash, but we were mostly alright. A few bumps and scratches, but nothing serious."

Daniel gestured to Juliet, "Until now?"

Jack nodded slowly, "There was a man named John Locke… He kept talking about destiny and the 'will of the island'. Crazy talk. I just thought he was eccentric, but then he stabbed Jul- _Shannon_ a few minutes ago. There was a U.S. Marshall on the plane and Locke had one of his guns. I managed to fight it away from him and shoot him before he could hurt anyone else."

Daniel put his hand on Jack's shoulder, "Don't worry about that. Any court would put you in the right in that situation. And don't worry about Shannon either. The wound wasn't very deep."

The pilot, Frank, smiled as he turned back to look at Jack, "Ray's a good doctor, even if he is an asshole." "-Thanks a lot, Lapidus-" "We'll have her right as rain within a day or two. No worries."

Jack felt a little better, but he couldn't stop his heart's rapid beating. He wouldn't feel alright until they got to the boat.

The survivors were eager to talk to the new arrivals. Everyone was excited to hear what had gone on in the outside world while they were isolated on the island. Shouts of "Bush again?! Really?!" and "The Sox?! No way!" filled the air.

Kate pushed her way through the crowd so as to get a better view, and then she saw him. _No… It can't be._

Sam was scanning the crowd frantically, and finally their eyes met, "Katie?"

Kate ran through the crowd. It was as if every second took an hour as her life seemed to come full circle. It was surreal to see someone she remembered so fondly from what seemed like another world standing right there in front of her on the island.

Sam, ignoring the shouted questions from the other survivors, dashed toward his daughter. For that's what she was in his mind and in hers. Nobody else would ever be called her father.

Kate and Sam embraced warmly. Tears were running down both their faces and crashing to the ground like sparkling waterfalls. Sam held on as if he'd never let go again.

"I thought I'd lost you, Katie. I thought-"

"No, Dad, you didn't lose me. I ran away. If I hadn't been running I'd never have ended up here. I'd never have-" Neither could continue speaking as their tears filled their eyes. Sam had lost his daughter a long time before the crash. She was back now after all that time. He'd never been so elated.

Ben leaned back against the tree he'd found himself bound to and thought. He did a lot of that. Thinking. If he was known for one thing, it was for being prepared, and he always had a pawn hiding somewhere.

At the moment the chessmaster was concerned about two such pieces in particular. One he'd not thought would ever be anything more than a burden. An obstacle to be avoided. Another he'd seen as a temporary tool. Both had now become exponentially more useful. _And with Locke and Juliet out of commission, there'll be no spanner in the works._

He stewed a little at the thought of Juliet. He'd spent so long grooming her to be the perfect tool and he'd failed in that task due to his own foolish emotions. He cursed himself. _This is why he won't appear to me. This weakness. _

His thoughts turned to his nemesis. _No doubt he was responsible for the crash. The Swan station system failure wasn't even enough to move the cutlery in the barracks, much less drag a plane out of the sky. I never thought he'd go this far for revenge. The boat belongs to his daughter, so I suppose he'll have a spy present. I'll just have to have my own agent eliminate him. Oh Michael how useful you've been. It's a shame we couldn't do more for your boy._

The survivors wouldn't escape. He'd have his prized possession back. Everything would go according to plan.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" A voice shouted from the right. Ben looked over and saw him, the man who'd held his burden in check. The man who'd raised _his_ daughter as his own. Sam Austen.


	6. The Joining

_PENNY'S BOAT_

**CHAPTER 6: THE JOINING**

_Juliet? Juliet? Wake up._ "Wake up!" Juliet's eyes snapped open to find her 12-year old sister leaning over her. Rachel grabbed her by the arm and yanked her out of bed, leading her into the living room.

"There's a guy here to see you? What did you do?" Rachel asked, playfully jabbing her sister as they met their parents in the room. A tall, rather imposing man with dark circles around his eyes stood talking to their father, who appeared excited. Their mother crouched down to speak to Juliet.

"This man runs a special school. He's going to ask you a few questions and see if you're the right person to go there. Do you understand, Julie?" She asked as she finished her explanation. Juliet nodded, still a little dazed. _It couldn't have waited until later in the day?_

Mister and Mrs. Carlson led Rachel out of the room while the tall man sat down on the couch. He waved Juliet over and she sat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table.

"Hello, Juliet. My name is Richard Alpert. I run a school for… gifted children. It's come to my attention that you're a very clever girl, so I've extended an invitation for you to attend if you can pass a few tests." The tall man told her.

Juliet tilted her head to the side, "Tests?"

Richard smiled, "Nothing difficult. I just need you to tell me…" He reached into his bag and took out a number of items and put them on the table, "…Which of these things belongs to you?"

Juliet blinked, "What do you mean?"

Richard waved his arm across the table, "Some of these things have already belonged to you. I can't explain it very well myself, but just move the things you feel right about to the other side of the table."

Juliet frowned in confusion, but nevertheless seemed to understand on a subconscious level. She scanned the objects on the table.

A metal baton sat at the far left, next a book marked _Carrie_, then a knife, a small German pistol, a vial of sand, a watch, a comic book with an image of a floating island on the cover, and a book marked _Book of Laws._

Juliet reached for the baton and regarded it slowly. The cold device made her feel a deep pity for some reason, so replaced it in it's original position.

Next she picked up the first book. It felt familiar and comforting, like she'd read it a hundred times despite having never seen it before. She placed it on the right side of the table.

She carefully lifted the large hunting knife and felt uncomfortable with it, as if it meant her harm. She put it back down quickly.

She touched the pistol and felt an overbearing sadness, but also a cold determination that told her she could do what she wanted in life. She placed it atop the book.

The vial of sand came next. It felt like she'd seen it a thousand times. The sand imprisoned in the vial felt like it in itself was trapping her in her situation. She felt a strange compulsion to cast it aside and run away, but instead she placed it with the pistol and book.

She picked up the watch and- _She'll answer when she's ready. Because I love you. We're getting home together. I can FIX THIS._

"Are you alright, Juliet?" Richard asked. He gave a look that was meant to express concern, but at the same time betrayed great interest, as if observing someone with a never-before-seen terminal illness.

Juliet nodded, "This feels weird. Like I can't remember something really important."

Richard smiled, "Some of these things might feel special to you, but only take the things that are _yours_. I'll give you a freebie on this one, it belongs to a boy my friend is going to visit right now. He's very special, just like you."

Juliet put the watch back, "Special?"

Richard nodded, "Some people in this world are particularly gifted. They're very smart, or very strong, or can do things normal people can't. This next test will decide whether you're one of the people who will shape the fate of the world."

Juliet thought silently that this was the strangest man she'd ever met, but something about him felt almost as familiar as the strange objects. She looked to her final test. The comic book or the _Book of Laws. _She regarded both quietly for a moment, then placed the _Book of Laws_ next to the pistol, book and vial.

Richard grinned from ear to ear, "Very good! Yes! This is exactly what we're looking for." He stood up and ran off toward the kitchen where the rest of the family was. Juliet's parents came running from the kitchen, positively beaming, but Rachel stood back, looking upset at being upstaged by her sister again. It would be years before those feelings of animosity would dissolve.

_Juliet? Juliet? Wake up. _"Wake up." Juliet's eyes slowly opened to find Jack leaning over her. She tried to sit up and a sharp pain ran through her. Jack gently pushed her back down.

"What happened?"

"Locke happened. He came back and stabbed you, but… But Juliet… We've been rescued! We're on a ship and the crew are heading out to get the others right now. We're going home."

Juliet's eyes lit up and began to fill with tears, "You mean we did it? The Looking Glass station shutting down, the tower being turned off, Naomi… all of it worked?"

Jack smiled and found himself crying tears of joy as well, "Yes. It all worked. Naomi's dead, but she didn't die in vain. We'll be heading home by morning. But listen, you have to follow my lead. We're pretending you're Shannon Rutherford."

Juliet nodded, "I read her file."

"Good, that makes this easy then. You just have to pretend you were in the crash and that nothing strange happened on the island. So the hatches, your people, all the death… none of it can come out."

"I understand."

"When we reach Tahiti, you'll leave the main group and buy a plane ticket to LA. Once you're there, you're gonna have to find St. Sebastian Hospital. I'll be waiting for you there, then we'll figure out where to go from there."

Juliet looked around the sick bay. Blood had stained the walls and the room had a sickly green tint. All these lies. All this darkness. It wasn't what she'd imagined rescue to be like, but she felt safe so long as Jack was there. _We're going home together._

Charles Widmore sat in his chair, looking out over Los Angeles with disdain. His people had succeeded for so long, and now the one person he'd never thought he'd have to worry about, his own daughter, was going to compromise the entire plot.

It was so simple. Have Matthew gather just the right people. Give them a little push onto the plane, but plant one extra. Libby had done her job well. She'd managed to help recruit Reyes and sabotage the plane at the correct moment to cause it's landing on the island, but her greater purpose had come later, against her will. Her death had driven the survivors toward their ultimate purpose, the destruction of Benjamin Linus. It now appeared however, that that goal wouldn't be accomplished. The survivors now had the choice between leaving Linus behind or taking him with them to be arrested. Neither outcome suited Charles.

"You rang?" Joked a mocking voice from the back of the room. Widmore turned his chair calmly. He knew very well that nothing could kill him yet. He had no fear of the mysterious man he'd been referred to.

Charles smiled, "Yes. I have here a list of targets. Among them are the survivors of Oceanic 815. I will pay you half in advance and you may not even need to lift a finger. Martin Keamy will attempt to intercept the targets before they reach you, if he is successful, he'll be given the whole second half of both of your pay. If he fails and you succeed, you'll receive said payment. Agreed?"

"Sure, but how about this: I kill them, plus Keamy, and take his advance half too. Free of charge. That should help you keep your little… operation quiet. And it'll be fun."

"A free kill? Surely you're joking?"

The hired gun gave Widmore a smile with his bleach-white face and torn red lips that would frighten monsters, "That's why they call me the Joker."


	7. Birthright

_**Author's Note:**_

Before we get going here are a few things you should understand about this fic.

1. It will **NEVER** include any Suliet. That was a nice pairing, but it was out of convenience and both characters drifted back toward their original love interests near the end, so I consider Jacket and Skate canon.

2. It disregards the flashforwards and Charlie's message in the finale of Season 3, but every other bit of established continuity before or during that episode will be respected.

3. Any continuity established after "Through the Looking Glass" is subject to change. Characters and elements from later episodes may be vastly different.

4. Minor crossovers may occur. They won't have much effect on the plot.

5. Flashbacks will tell their stories in one chapter and center mostly on a single character.

6. Updates can be expected at least twice a week.

7. I do realize that for what is meant to be a Jacket fic, there's been relatively little romance between the two so far. It is coming, I just have to deal with getting everyone off the damn island first (it's as hard to write your way off the bloody thing as it is to get rescued from it).

* * *

_**PENNY'S BOAT**_

CHAPTER 7: BIRTHRIGHT

Sam grabbed Ben by his collar and forced him to his feet. He held himself back from punching the man he'd thought he'd never have to face again. The man who had abandoned the woman he loved as if she were nothing and left her a broken mess for the rest of her life.

"Moriarty! How did you end up here?! You weren't in the manif-" Sam was cut off as a sharp blow struck his right temple. He fell over, and looking up, realized that he'd loosened Ben's ropes enough for the little man to grab a telescoping baton he'd hidden in his sleeve.

Ben slashed the baton across Sam's face and grabbed the soldier's pistol. He waved it about as he stepped back away from the crowd of survivors. He looked at Kate pityingly.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, but I'm afraid that he wasn't quite part of the plan. He's not dead, just out for a little while. Anyway… I'll take my leave, shall I?" Ben dashed off into the jungle, disappearing without a trace.

Kate ran over to Sam. Ben hadn't been lying, he was unconscious, but still breathing. Sawyer knelt down next to her, "Son of a bitch… I'll get after him, Freckles. No way we're letting that bastard get away after all he's done to us."

Kate nodded, unable to smile with her father hurt, "Thanks, Sawyer. Make sure you're back in time to meet the boats okay?"

Sawyer gave her a roguish smile, "Just call me Mr. Punctual, sweetheart. Back in a flash."

As Sawyer turned to chase after Ben, Miles blocked his path. "You're not leaving without an escort. It's not safe-" Miles leaned in closer, whispering, "-And I've got a lot riding on bringing Linus to that freighter." He turned back to his companion, smiling again and dropping the sinister tone, "It okay with you if I go with this guy, Charlotte?"

The redheaded girl sighed in exasperation, "We haven't got time for wild adventures in the woods, Miles. The primary objective is still getting these people rescued."

Miles gave her a smug smile, "Not really my problem. I've gotta take care of business." With that, he stepped aside.

Sawyer's expression was angry, "If you're done wasting my time, Stubby, I'll be going now." He charged into the trees after his quarry with Miles in pursuit.

Charlotte rubbed her forehead. _Idiot… What the bloody hell is he up to? This damn headache isn't helping matters much. I'll be glad when the zodiacs arrive and I can get out of here. Something about this place is…_

"Excuse me?" Charlotte turned to see who had spoken and found an older man with white hair and a weary face, "My name's Bernard Nadler. My wife and I… We aren't going with you."

Charlotte frowned, "What do you mean you aren't going with us? We're getting you off this island. Aren't you happy?"

Bernard shook his head, "It's not that we're not happy to see everyone rescued, but my wife was very sick before we arrived here and now… now it's like she's completely alright. I don't know if it's the climate or something in the air, but it's a miracle! So I would be eternally grateful if you could report that Rose and Bernard Nadler died in the crash."

Charlotte half-smiled in confusion, but she understood the man's plea. She nodded, "I suppose… so long as Miles and Sam didn't catch sight of you if you go back to your camp now you'd be able to stay."

Bernard pulled her into a hug, it was so sudden that Charlotte almost fell over. The old man was smiling widely, "Thank you. Thank you so much." He let go at last and ran off to tell his wife the news. Charlotte felt she'd done the right thing, but wasn't sure what. Like when you do something simple and mundane that makes a stranger smile and gives you the distinct impression you've made their day. It was a good feeling.

Jack sat in the Captain's cabin glancing idly at the ledger. He'd been brought there by a hooded crewman who's name he'd neglected to ask and was feeling a little nervous. It was a pulse-pounding moment, sitting there, knowing that within a few days he'd be back home. _Home. What is home? Sarah's gone. Dad's dead… Everyone probably thinks __**I'm**__ dead by now. It's going to be a fresh start. _Jack smiled. He'd heard the same words used to describe their lives on the island. A fresh start. Somehow those words had rung hollow. He'd spent the last 90 days being chased by polar bears, monsters, and maniacs, fighting for his life and being tortured. It may have been a start, but it certainly wasn't a fresh one.

Jack turned as the door swung open. A tall man walked in, accompanied by a woman. Jack squinted for a moment before recognizing where he'd seen her before. _Desmond's photograph? That must be what he meant when he said it was "Penny's boat."_

The man held out his hand, "My name is Captain Grant Gault. Welcome to the Kahana."

Jack shook his hand vigorously, "Dr. Jack Shephard." He looked past Gault to Penny, "And you are?"

"Penelope Widmore. I'm the current employer of Captain Gault and the one responsible for your rescue." She answered with a smile.

Jack looked a little bewildered, "How did you find us? This place is pretty out of the way and the plane was completely off course."

Penny sat down in the captain's chair across from Jack, "To be honest, my goal wasn't to find Oceanic 815. I've spent that last 3 years looking for Desmond Hume. He was in a boat race run by my father and he just disappeared. It seemed like the trail was completely dead, but then I ran into someone. A woman in Miami who claimed to have lost her sister at the exact same time. Following this lead, I investigated some connections between the recruiters that said sister had been interviewing with before her disappearance and a group called the Dharma Initiative. The trail led to Oceanic airlines. Then came the crash of course, and the discovery of the plane."

Jack's eyes widened, "What are you talking about? The plane fell across the island there was nothing left."

Captain Gault leaned on the door, "That's why I thought this job was a wild goose chase, but it turns out that whoever these 'Dharma' people are, they're trying to cover up your crash. Ms. Widmore kept the true nature of the expedition from me until 24 hours ago." He was grumbling a little near the end.

Penny waved him off, "And you will be compensated for your trouble. Anyway, that's how we found you. Now I have just one question, Dr. Shephard."

"What's that?"

"Why are you lying to me?"


	8. Awakening

**PENNY'S BOAT**

_**CHAPTER 8: AWAKENING**_

Jack touched his face gingerly. Bruises covered it and he felt a sharp pain as his fingers brushed them. He pulled his arm away and let it drop to the cement below. Marc was picking himself up from the ground, quickly wiping away tears to hide how scared he'd been.

Cars drove by, ignoring the two boys as they stood and walked toward each other. Jack looked out past the rusting gate that was meant to shelter those in the basketball court from harm and watched the pedestrians continue walking. They didn't care whether he and Marc were alright. They just wanted to keep moving. He didn't like that; the idea of leaving someone behind to save yourself.

Marc wiped away a stream of blood seeping from his left eye, "Thanks, Jack. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't showed up."

Jack smiled, his swollen lip giving a slightly comedic effect to the expression, "I didn't do anything special. There was a problem and I tried to fix it. I guess I didn't do such a great job."

Marc allowed himself a nervous grin, "But you tried. That's what matters. Anyway, I gotta get home. Mom's gonna flip her lid if she sees me all messed up like this. Thanks again."

Marc picked up his backpack and ran off toward his house. Jack walked over to the fence and sat down, leaning against the crossing wires. He let out a sigh. _Dad's not going to like this._

"You okay, kid?" A voice asked. Jack looked up to see a man with short blonde hair and a square jaw. He was pretty big, but had an air of friendly familiarity.

"Yeah I'm okay. Just playing rough." Jack answered, trying not to cause any more trouble. The blonde man sat down next to him and watched the cars fly by.

"You know, Jack, everyone's got a calling. We all have something we need to do. Maybe saving that kid back there was your call. Maybe that was the push you needed, eh?" He suggested serenely.

Jack looked over at him skeptically, "Do I know you from somewhere, Mister?"

The blonde man shook his head, "Not yet… Not yet." With that he patted Jack on the shoulder, stood up, and walked off into the distance. Jack watched him leave with a strange sense of déjà vu. He had a feeling he hadn't seen the last of this phantom stranger.

Sawyer pushed the ferns aside and continued following the path of footprints leading further and further into the jungle. Ben had crossed the mesa, passed the golf course, and was approaching the mountains. He'd been running for about an hour.

Miles ran to Sawyer's side, "How do you know Benjamin Linus?"

Sawyer didn't look at him, "None of your business, Short Round. Now shut up and buzz off."

Miles shoved Sawyer, "Look, redneck, I've got a few million riding on catching this guy. There's something in it for you if you can tell me where he'll be."

Sawyer frowned, "Why the hell would I-"

"I know about Clementine."

"You what?"

" I know you abandoned your daughter and I know that's gotta eat at you every day. What kind of father leaves his kid behind anyway? So how about you and me work together on this one, and I'll help you get the cash to make sure she lives a nice, comfortable life."

Sawyer shot Miles an interrogative look that betrayed temptation, "How could you possibly know all of this? Who hired you?"

Miles' expression became very serious, "Look, I'm trusting you with this. I don't know why, but I feel like we'd make a good team. Anyway, that's beside the point. I was hired by a man named Charles Widmore. He sent me and two other guys on the freighter to achieve a secondary objective."

"Beyond rescuin' everyone."

"Exactly. This merc, Keamy, and I were recruited by a guy named Abbadon. At first I thought he just represented Oceanic Airlines, but then it became clear he actually represented the man _behind_ Oceanic: Widmore. He's apparently got some grudge against Linus, so he sent us to find and execute him. From the fact that you guys had him tied to a tree, I assume that's a common interest."

Sawyer nodded sharply, "Fine. I don't cherish the idea of working with a guy who'd kill a man for a buck, but I've got a bone to pick with ol' Benny boy myself. Let's do this."

They parted a large cluster of ferns and found themselves staring at a greenhouse. It was quite tall, looking to have been 2-3 stories at some point. It was now a decrepit mess of broken glass and overgrown plants.

"What is this?" Miles asked.

"Don't look at me, Billy Lo. I've never seen this thing before." Sawyer responded, looking up at the greenhouse in awe.

Miles took out a booklet from his pack and scanned it carefully. He paused and his eyes widened, "Oh shit."

Sawyer looked over at him, confused, "What?"

Miles stared at the greenhouse in terror, "This is the Orchid station."

Claire stared forward from the front of the zodiac, not letting the freighter leave her sight. She felt that if she let herself lose sight of it for even a second, she'd wake up and find it had been a pleasant dream. Aaron slept peacefully in her arms, but he'd done an inordinate amount of crying earlier. Claire idly wondered if he somehow knew the man who'd served as his loving father for so long was dead. She knew she shouldn't think about things like that during a time that was supposed to be joyful, bur she couldn't be happy knowing Charlie was dead.

Sun, Jin, and Hurley were in the zodiac as well as a crewman from the freighter. This one had been the first to arrive and the other boats were on their way. When Charlotte had found out Sun was pregnant and Claire had a newborn, she'd insisted on putting them on the first ride to the _Kahana_. Claire had asked to bring along Hurley and Jin, naturally, accompanied Sun.

Hurley was almost as affected by Charlie's death as Claire was, and he'd spoken very little since returning from the beach. Claire had decided to stick with him and ensure he'd be alright. _Or at least that's what I told myself. I think I'm the one who needs a friend right now._

The crewman gestured toward the ship. He had a comedically pirate-ish accent that made Hurley and Claire smile despite themselves, "This rig ain't really the _Kahana_ as I'd have had it. Ms. Widmore had the whole tub refitted. Looked like a downgrade said I, but she but just gave me one of them 'knowing looks'. Whole inside looks like somethin' what might come out of the 70s. Lord only knows why that renovation was cleared by the captain. Said he used to be acquainted wif the young lady's father so that might've played a part I s'pose."

` The talkative crewman finally went silent and Sun felt the need to ask, "Who sent you? The freighter I mean?"

The crewman smiled, "Ms. Widmore hired the boat, but I believe I overheard the captain say she was funded by Sabrina Carlyle and some woman named Rachel Carlson. As it turned out, this Carlson woman had extorted the cash from a gov-ment research grant issued years ago for Miami Central University. Shady business, I say, shady business."

Claire turned to Hurley and whispered, "Sabrina Carlyle is Boone's mother, I remember him mentioning her company, but I don't remember anyone mentioning a Rachel. Do you know anyone named Carlson?"

Hurley shook his head, "Nope, I did that whole census and no Carlsons. Maybe they died or were in the tail section or something."

Claire frowned, "I hope whoever it is, they're okay."

Juliet sat up and looked around. She wasn't sure what time it was, but the lights had been turned down, so she assumed it was nighttime. Though that could just have been because of the dank nature of the sick bay. She felt a bit disoriented. _Where…_

She was snapped from her thoughts as the door slowly slid open. A hooded man entered, his face in shadow. She made a move for the call button on the wall, but the man put a finger to his lips and pulled his hood back.

"It's me. Remember?" The man said quietly. He appeared jittery, as if he weren't supposed to be there.

Juliet squinted for a second in the weak light and suddenly caught on, "Michael?" The face that stared back at her was a somewhat wide-eyed, dark one with a mood of sadness.

Juliet shifted uncomfortably, "Look it's not my fault you know. What happened to-"

"I know. Libby and Ana Lucia are dead 100% thanks to me. Trust me, I know that by now. I'm not here for revenge, I'm here to find out why they're calling you Shannon when you told me your name was Juliet back at the village."

"It's a long story, but the point is, for us to get out of here without trouble, we're pretending everybody who was killed died in the crash and that Desmond and I are Boone and Shannon."

"Why would you need to be rescued from the island? Last time I checked, you people could come and go as you pleased!" Michael was allowing hostility to raise the volume of his voice.

"After you left, something weird happened and the sky turned purple. After that there was… trouble. Listen, I'm not one of them anymore. I'm on your side now, Michael."

Michael looked at his feet, "It's more like I'm on my own side these days. I lost Walt… I lost everything… I lost _myself_. And now I'm standing here telling this to a woman who helped kidnap my son, because she's the only person I know in this world who doesn't hate me. If that isn't the most pathetic thing you've ever heard-"

"Michael?"

Michael and Juliet's gazes shot to the door. Jack had returned.


	9. Reunited

**PENNY'S BOAT**

_**CHAPTER 9: REUNITED**_

_The waves wash back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. What is this? Is this what happens next? Is this… No. This is… No._ He picked his head up off the sand and looked up. Trees lined the horizon, the comforting, yet sinister allure of nature. Behind lay the sea. Ahead lay jungle. The walls of Thermopylae.

_Get up._ He shook his head. _Can't. Too tired. Too broken._ He thought of her, the prettiest face he'd ever seen. The girl he'd fallen in love with the moment he'd set eyes on her. And somehow, he knew she was gone. He'd lost her. He'd lost himself.

The harsh sunlight faded as a shadow was cast across him. He rolled over to find a figure standing over him. _I hated you so much._ A hand was reaching down to him. He grasped it, his last hope, and it pulled him to his feet.

Locke smiled, "Come on, Charlie. We've got work to do."

Desmond stared forward for a moment, unsure of how to react. Unsure if he could even believe this was real. _Penny? Is she really here?_ He reached out and touched her face, feeling the warmth, the reality, and in that moment he knew salvation had arrived.

"If there is a heaven, Pen, It's got nothing on this.

Michael's head hit the wall sharply. A solid punch bloodied his nose. He let the punishment come, he knew he deserved it. From the moment he'd told Walt the truth about what had led to their rescue and seen the horror in the boy's eyes, he'd known. _I'm a traitor. I'm a… murderer._

Jack pulled him to his feet by the collar and pinned him to the wall, "Where do you get off coming back here, you son of a bitch?! Sawyer and Kate could have-!"

"Jack! Let him go!" Juliet shouted, "I'm as much to blame for what happened on Hydra Island as he is, are you going to beat me senseless?"

Jack gritted his teeth and dropped his victim. He knew she was right. Michael dropped to the floor, gasping and looking up pleadingly.

"You gotta understand, they had Walt. They had my child… and they said they wouldn't hurt you. They said they were good people. I never meant any of you any harm. But…" Michael trailed off as tears of guilt and pain ran down his face, "…but I was so scared."

Jack paused and took a deep breath. He reached down to Michael.

"Okay."

"W-What?"

"I forgive you."

Michael took his hand and stood. He looked from Jack to Juliet and back again, "So you gonna tell me what exactly's gone on since I bailed on you?"

Jack smiled, "It's a pretty long story. Can you keep it a secret?"

"I been keepin' secrets for a long time. And as for long stories, we got one hell of a long boat ride ahead of us."

"Don't move! There's two of us and one'a you!" Sawyer threatened as he raised his gun. The pulsating wheel ahead of him glowed brightly, making his adversary appear angelic in the shining light.

"James, I never thought it'd be you who'd confront me here. It's a shame really. This could have been such an epic climax to recent events if Jack had been here, but I guess I'll have to settle for the deadbeat conman and… whoever you are…" Ben sighed.

Miles cocked his gun, "Name's Straume, Linus. I'm the guy who's going to put you in the dirt." He was obviously a little annoyed that some hick was more recognizable to his quarry than him.

"You know, James, I can keep her here with you." Ben offered slyly.

Sawyer tensed, "The hell you talkin' bout?"

"Kate. She leaves this island and you two are over, but I can stop her. All it would take…" Ben gestured to the glowing wheel, "…Is activating this device."

Miles looked at Sawyer, "Don't listen to a word he says. For all we know, that thing might kill everyone on the island."

Ben smirked, "Really? Now what would be my motivation in killing everyone? This isn't a drugstore comic book, Miles, this is reality. And in reality, every action must have a payout."

Miles smiled, "So you do know who I am."

Sawyer slowly lowered his weapon, "Keep talkin'."

Ben turned to the wheel and laid his hands on it, "This is connected to a device that controls all of time and space. It would be little difficulty for me to use it to move this island somewhere that freighter will never find it. The rest of your friends are now aboard, but Kate is still loyally waiting at the radio tower. How long do you think that loyalty lasts when you can't be a hero anymore, James? Until she _tires_ of you. Let me turn the wheel and we all leave this place happy and alive."

Sawyer frowned, "And what's in it for you?"

Ben pointed to Miles, "I escape from these people and continue living off the island. Once I'm cut off from my resources, I'll have no way of hurting you or your friends. Let me do this."

Miles stepped forward, "No way in hell you're getting off this island alive, Linus! Sawyer you ca-" Miles stopped short and slumped over, Sawyer had struck him with his pistol, leaving him unconscious.

Ben smiled, "You made the right decision, James. See you in another life." With that he stepped forward and turned the wheel all the way around. The station was washed away in a bright light.

"What the hell is that?!" Elliot shouted. All of the other survivors turned at once to face the island, seeing a bright light emanating from the center. Steve and Doug ran to the guard rail for a better look as Hurley and Claire climbed the stairs next to the cabin.

The whole sick bay began to shake wildly. Juliet slipped from the bed, but Jack caught her and turned to face the porthole. It was pure white, nothing could be seen but radiant light. Michael shielded his eyes.

Sawyer's vision went blank. Miles was shouting something, but a loud ringing noise drowned it out. All was nothingness for one darkly glorious moment, then…


	10. Lost and Found

_**PENNY'S BOAT**_

_**CHAPTER 10: LOST AND FOUND**_

The light subsided slowly, fading away and revealing the sky once more. The survivors stepped forward to take one last look at the island that had been home for 3 months and found… nothing.

"What's happening?!" Claire shouted over the still fading hum that had accompanied the flash.

Hurley shook his head, "I-I don't know."

A light turned on on Charles' phone. He tapped a button and the light faded. _I never expected you'd go that far, Benjamin. To activate it… That's something only HE is supposed to be able to do. Have you gone mad?_

He silently lifted the receiver and dialed a code into the phone. _422-3161... She had better be there._ The phone rang for a moment before being answered.

"Hello?" A female voice inquired.

"Hello, Eloise. It's me."

"I told you never to contact me here. It might compromise everything we've worked for."

"Just listen, Eloise, for God's sake. It's Linus… He's activated the hidden function of the Orchid station. I need you to pinpoint his exit point for me."

"That will be a challenge. The entrance point's gone dark and it look's like the Flame is out of commission as well. And I can't guarantee the exit point will exist in this timeframe."

"That shouldn't matter. Not for you."

"There are rules, Charles. Rules that cannot be broken."

"I _make_ the rules."

Sawyer looked into the night sky in a daze. He could hear footsteps in the distance. _What's…? _Everything was a blur. Finally it began to come into focus, and he was looking not at a dark sky, but at a cave ceiling. Water dripped on his face as he pulled himself to his feet.

"I should kill you right here." Came a voice from the other side of the cave.

Sawyer rubbed his eyes, "…The hell? Who's…?"

A figure came into view, "It's Miles. The guy you knocked out, remember? How 'bout you start explaining to me why putting a bullet between your eyes isn't my best option here?"

Sawyer looked uncharacteristically thoughtful, "I couldn't stand to lose her."

Miles threw his arms into the air and turned away, "Great! So you didn't want your girlfriend to leave you, so you trap yourself, her, and of course, just my damn luck, _me_ on some island in the middle of nowhere. And we're stuck in here by the way."

The haze in Sawyer's mind started to clear and he grimaced, no longer docile, "What the hell do you mean 'we're stuck'?"

Miles was running his hands along the cave wall, "When Linus turned that wheel, the exit leading to the Orchid station disappeared. We're sealed in without a way-"

Miles abruptly stopped speaking as another wave of light rushed through the cave, knocking him to the ground in surprise. As it faded away, a more natural light began to shine through into the cave.

Sawyer smiled, "Looks like we got ourselves a way outta here."

The survivors had begun to panic. Penny and Desmond stood next to the Captain's quarters, unsure of what to do. Desmond turned to Penny.

"Ah need you to help us out, Pen. From what ye've told me, ya know the woman down there with Jack isn't Shannon Rutherford. And-" Desmond almost laughed, "It should be pretty obvious ah'm not Boone Carlyle, but I need you to trust me that-"

Penny put a finger to his lips, shushing him, "I know, Des. Jack explained everything to me earlier. Now let's just go down there to the deck and we'll explain everything to your friends."

Desmond smiled. Penny always understood.

Jack looked around the room. Michael had run off while they were blinded by the light that had whisked the island away. He didn't really care. Michael wasn't a problem now that they were all headed home.

Juliet smiled at Jack, "You can let go, you know."

Jack realized how tightly he was clinging to her and quickly let go in embarrassment. Juliet laughed. Jack smiled a little, feeling the mood had lightened.

"Do you have any idea what that was just now?" Jack asked.

Juliet shook her head, "No… It looked like when the sky turned purple, but bigger. More intense."

Jack walked over to the porthole to confirm once again that the island was gone, "Kate, Sawyer, Ben, and one of the guys from the freighter were still there. Do you think…?"

Juliet carefully shifted herself over to his side, "I think they'll be alright, Jack. I mean after the hatch exploded we were all alright, weren't we? Maybe the island didn't just disappear, maybe it went somewhere else."

Jack looked at her inquisitively, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Juliet frowned, "There were some Dharma stations we didn't understand. One was called the Orchid and the instructions for it said something about shifting time and space. I thought it was crazy, but now…"

Jack put on a brave face, "Don't worry about it. Wherever they are now, they'll find their way home."

Juliet stared out of the porthole sadly, "I'm not even sure where home is anymore. Everyone must think I'm dead by now. My parents are gone. All I've got left is Rachael and she's got her own life now."

Jack followed her gaze to the void where the island had once stood and smiled, "You know I haven't really got anything to go back to either. My father is… Well I'm not sure where he is, but he's not going to be around much anymore. My wife left me before the crash… I've got nobody to go home to. So how about you and I go home together like I promised?"

Juliet smiled and hugged Jack. Tears ran down her face as it finally became real. _I'm going home._


	11. Freedom

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

In case you're confused, here's a rundown of what's different from the original timeline.

1. The freighter was hired by Penny. If you didn't catch that bit, get help.

2. Jack shot Locke when they had their confrontation over the fate of Juliet. In this timeline, Locke took more direct methods in dealing with the woman he saw as a threat to his "people".

3. Kate's fake dad, Sam, was the leader of the mercenaries on the freighter. He quit his military job to search for his (sort of) daughter.

4. Ben is Kate's real father. Yeah there's an explanation later, calm down.

5. Ben turned the Frozen Donkey Wheel, moving the island after most of the survivors were rescued. He then disappeared.

6. Charlie washed up on shore after the Looking Glass was flooded. He met Locke there, who seems to have survived in the same way he survived the hatch implosion.

_Keep reading, it just gets better from here._

_**PENNY'S BOAT**_

_**CHAPTER 11: FREEDOM**_

Kate's eyes snapped open. She looked down and saw mud… about 30 feet down. Shocked, she grabbed the closest thing, a tree branch. She held on tightly and tried to get her bearings. She was in a tall tree near… _I must be near the beach, I can hear the waves._ _What happened?_

She lowered herself from the branch and carefully dropped down to the ground. The day was sunny, but it appeared night was almost at hand. Kate decided to return to the camp and get on the last boat for the freighter. Sawyer had kept her waiting long enough.

She walked quickly through the jungle, but soon found herself lost. Everything seemed out of place. The trees weren't the same. Different animal cries cut the silence. Something was very wrong.

"Need some help?" A voice asked from the bushes. Kate turned to find Locke wearing an expensive suit and cutting the foliage aside with a machete. Charlie followed him slowly, wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled high enough to cast a shadow over his face. Locke stopped and gave Kate an eerie smile.

Kate stepped back, "How are you-?"

"Alive?" Locke responded, "I'm not entirely sure. It was just like the hatch implosion, there was a bright flash of light and I was laying out in the jungle. My clothes were gone, but I found a coffin with these clothes laid out in it. And as for Charlie… Well why don't you explain that yourself, Charlie?"

Charlie stepped forward past Locke, his eyes appeared bloodshot and he looked agitated, "We were in that hatch… The Looking Glass… And an Other blew out the porthole. I locked the door to keep the water from drowning Desmond… Then I just blacked out and woke up on the beach. I suppose I might've swam out the hole in the side." He spoke in an uncharacteristically dismissive voice.

Locke planted his machete in the ground, "Everyone else is gone. We went back to the camp and there was nothing there. All the tents and Dharma rations have disappeared and I couldn't spot the freighter in the distance. But don't worry, I think I know why this is happening."

Kate looked at Locke in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Locke picked up the machete and twirled it around before grasping it tightly, "There was a file in the Flame station pertaining to another station called the Orchid. The Dharma initiative was apparently researching a similar kind of electromagnetism to the kind that caused the sky to turn purple when the hatch blew. I figure this Orchid station must be the cause of that light that made everything vanish, so if we can find and destroy the station, we can stop-"

Locke was cut off by a loud humming as another burst of light flashed before their eyes. Charlie looked into the sky silently while Kate held her head in her hands. A brutal headache had suddenly hit her. Locke didn't flinch.

The light faded and they found everything back in it's original order. The trees were where Kate remembered them, if a little more overgrown. The sky was brighter now. It looked like midday.

Locke gestured for Kate and Charlie to follow him, "Come on, we're going to find that station." He was smirking creepily. Kate paused for a moment, then followed.

Aaron started crying loudly. Claire tried to silence him, knowing a lot of the other occupants of the freighter were sleeping. Those that could sleep, that is. A number of people were far too excited to quit for the night and were eagerly asking the freighter crew various questions about what they'd missed while stranded on the island. Claire didn't really care about which politicians had been elected or how the war was going, she just wanted to be free again. She hadn't felt free since before she first met Thomas. He'd been a mistake, but it had taken her a long time to realize it.

Aaron finally settled as Claire sat down near the port side of the ship and stared out at the spot where the island had been. The sun was setting and it almost looked like an island of fire.

Claire wasn't sure how to feel. She was finally saved, finally off the island, but at what cost? Charlie was dead and a lot of good people had been killed when the island was destroyed. Claire silently hoped that she was wrong about that, but general consensus among the survivors was that the island had been destroyed in an explosion. It was the most rational explanation they could come up with and they seemed to accept it, if only to avoid agonizing over yet another mystery. They'd had enough of mystery. It was time to just live.

It was strange to think that the island was gone. It, in itself, had been the real object of menace. Not polar bears or monsters or hostile natives; The island itself. Nobody would admit it, but they all felt it. There was a will to that place that could not be denied. Claire wondered if Charlie's sacrifice had been demanded by the island in exchange for their leaving.

She shivered and walked down the stairs toward the sleeping quarters.

Martin Keamy lay staring at the ceiling. The door was sealed and an armed guard blocked exit. He smiled despite promising himself he wouldn't get overconfident. It was just so easy. Gault had no idea Omar answered not to Sam, but to Keamy.

A knock came at the door. Three quick taps followed by a loud bang. The lock slid aside. Keamy pushed the door open and stepped out slowly, checking the hall to ensure Omar was alone.

Omar laughed, "We did it, boss. Now can we finish the job so I can get my cut and go home?"

Keamy frowned, "Your cut? What gave you the idea you were in on this?"

Omar stopped laughing, "You said-"

Martin walked out of the hallway, leaving Omar's broken-necked corpse laying by the cell. _You served your purpose._

Sawyer pulled himself up out of the well after Miles. It was midday and the sun was shining brightly. Everything looked like normal. The Orchid was where it had been, though it looked a little more run down than before. Everything seemed the same, but had an air of being older.

Miles looked around in agitation, "Great. Lord knows where and when we are."

Sawyer turned, "What're you talkin' about?"

Miles sighed, "God you're an idiot. When I say we don't know when we are, I mean it. When that station gets activated, it moves the island randomly through time and space. The thing always ends up in the Pacific, but beyond that… we could be anywhere."

"Let me get this straight. You're sayin' when ol' Benry spun that wheel around he made us travel through time?"

"That's right. I'd try to make you believe me, but I don't really care. All I know is, I've gotta get to the dock and get on the submarine… If it even exists."

"It doesn't. Bald Bull back there blew it up when Blondie and the Doc tried to get out of here on it. Always thought he was a few cards short a deck."

"You don't get it, do you? We _time traveled. _We could be at a point before the sub was destroyed. So as long as I get that sub back here so your buddy can blow it up, I can leave on it."

Sawyer frowned and started walking into the jungle.

Miles grabbed his shoulder, "Where do you think you're going?"

Sawyer shoved him away, "To find Kate."

Ben gasped. He pressed his hands into the hot sand and vomited. The sun was beating down on him, brutally choking the air from his lungs. Everything was muddled. He couldn't tell up from down and had no idea what time of day it was. The sky was orange. The endless desert was orange. They spun together, a vortex of confusion and disorientation. Finally it all spiraled back into sense.

A car had pulled up next to him. A pair of feet stepped out of the car and two hands pulled him to his feet. Ben found himself staring into the face of Charlotte Lewis.

"What year is it?" He asked.

Charlotte frowned, "What are you talking about? It's 2005."


	12. Incursion

AUTHOR'S NOTE

No I didn't forget about Ben. You just have to wait for the present day narrative to catch up to the time he time-traveled to before we see him again.

_**PENNY'S BOAT**_

_**CHAPTER 12: INCURSION**_

Gault sat reading in his cabin. _House of Leaves_ was the title of the book. He turned it in confusion, trying to understand the words within. They were a labyrinth of mystery and confusion. He dropped the book on his desk in frustration. He wasn't a man that was interested in mystery. He liked things straightforward and didn't try to complicate his thoughts.

A knock came at the door.

"Who's there?"

"It's Omar."

Gault opened the door slowly, but there was nevertheless a loud noise. He wondered idly if the hinges needed oil before feeling a sharp pain in his abdomen. The captain looked down to find he'd been shot.

It was not Omar, but Keamy who stood in the doorway. He was holding a pistol and had a rifle slung over his back. Gault grasped at Keamy's shirt pathetically, trying to stop him from continuing his rampage. He had a responsibility as captain.

Keamy put another bullet in Gault's head and walked into the cabin. A master key to every compartment of the ship lay on the desk. Keamy grabbed it and continued on his way.

Sayid snapped awake. He'd heard the unmistakable sound of gunshots. Some would go back to sleep and imagine it had been the engine or something falling, but years in the military taught you to never forget the sound of gunfire.

Sayid got up and looked around the room. Desmond, Hurley, and Neil had been chosen to bunk with Sayid and were all asleep as they'd been before. Nothing seemed amiss in the immediate vicinity.

Sayid opened the door and looked out down the hallway. The next room held Jack, Jerome, Sullivan, and Jin. The room directly opposite his held Claire, Sonya, Juliet, and Sun. Sayid quickly and quietly checked that everyone was where they should be and continued on up the stairs to the deck.

Something was moving on the starboard side of the ship. Sayid dashed over and grabbed the figure, only to find himself clutching fur. _Vincent. Of course._

He would have laughed if not for the seriousness of the situation. Noting that the main deck seemed to be clear (save for his canine friend), Sayid approached the captain's cabin. He reached back and took out the pistol he'd hidden among his things when he got on the zodiac. He'd learned there was no such thing as being too careful.

The cabin door opened and Sayid ducked into the shadows. A massive figure slammed the door shut and walked out onto the deck. The man was heavily armed and built like a tank. Sayid crawled along after him and finally pressed his pistol into the back of the man's neck.

"May I ask what you're doing with _this_?" Sayid inquired sarcastically as he grabbed the man's rifle. As he was slipping the strap off, an elbow crashed into Sayid's ribs, sending him sprawling across the deck.

Martin turned around and wielded his rifle menacingly, "Don't try me, little man. I'm not in the mood."

Sayid smiled, "Then I have the ADVANTAGE!" He swung his fist and smashed Keamy's nose. The mercenary clearly hadn't been expecting such massive strength and was sent flying across the deck.

Martin spat, "You want it rough, boy? Let's go then." He opened fire with the rifle, tearing up the decking under Sayid's feet, narrowly missing him.

Sayid rolled aside and drew his pistol. He fired six shots directly into Keamy's Kevlar-covered chest. The mercenary was staggered, but continued his forward march. He was firing wildly now, not even bothering to aim.

Sayid found his pistol empty and tossed it aside. He slid behind a crate and clasped his hands. He couldn't take on a man of that size unarmed. He was finished.

"Hey, Martin!" A voice shouted. Keamy turned to face a rifle-wielding Sam Austen.

The old soldier smiled, "I could gut six mercs like you before breakfast." With that he fired one high-powered shot into Keamy's kneecap, knocking him off his feet.

"I think it's back to the brig with you, son."

Jack woke up to find the room mostly empty. Only Sullivan remained asleep. _Weird. He was always the jumpy one._ Jack walked out of the open door and found the other survivors who'd been sleeping in the area in a panic.

Claire was holding Aaron tightly, looking frightened, while Jin and Hurley interrogated a tall, bald, black man that had come on the ship. The man was waving his hands dismissively.

"Calm down, calm down. There was an accidental weapons discharge on the deck. Nothing to worry about." The man assured them.

Jack stepped past Hurley, "Why would you have brought weapons?"

The man gave Jack a rather patronizing smile, "I'm not affiliated with the crew of this ship, I represent Oceanic Airlines. I assume they brought the weapons in case of hostile wildlife on the island."

Jack looked at him apprehensively, "You work for the airline? Who are you?"

The man held out his hand, "My name is Matthew Abbadon. I'm a public relations representative. And you are?"

Jack shook the man's hand tightly, more a challenge than a greeting, "Jack Shephard. Spinal surgeon."

Matthew grinned, "Ah yes, the hero who led these people to rescue. Minkowski told us all about you, Jack."

Jack's expression was distrusting. _Something's not right about this guy. I feel like I've seen him before somewhere. It's the eyes… _"Alright then. Are you going to be making up a list of the survivors?"

Matthew nodded, "In the morning. Normally a headcount and identification process would have occurred immediately so that families could be informed, but we had a minor communications problem yesterday."

A series of footsteps could suddenly be heard marching down the stairs. The others had gone back to their bunks so Matthew and Jack were left alone in the hallway with the newcomers.

Sam and Sayid were walking down the stairs, carrying the unconscious body of a huge man strapped down with a bullet-proof vest. Jack ran forward to see what had happened, then stepped back in shock.

"I know this guy!"

Kate stopped to catch her breath. They'd been walking for hours and she was bothered by her incessant headache. _And the ringing in my ears. It's not going away. What is this?_

Locke looked over at her, "No need to worry. We're here." He swept some branches aside, revealing a large, rundown greenhouse. It looked to be fairly small, but the scattered debris around it's base suggested it might have been larger at some point.

Kate stood, "So what do we do with this thing?"

Locke smiled, "It's quite simple, actually. We just have to go in there and overload the station with metallic objects to expose the electromagnetic energy pocket. If I'm right, that pocket is our way out of here."

Kate frowned, "You've changed your tune, John. Yesterday you were saying we weren't supposed to leave the island. Now you're doing whatever you can to get out of here. What's changed?"

Locke glanced at Charlie, then turned back to Kate, "A lot of things have changed, Kate. What was yesterday to us is more of a subjective experience now. So why don't we stop asking questions and get to that-"

Kate looked up at the sky. It was glowing brightly again, the same sort of flash that had struck them before. Locke dashed toward the greenhouse, but was finally dissolved into the sea of light. Everything vanished for a moment, then returned. Everything but the Orchid station. It was replaced by scaffolding and building supplies. The sky had turned pitch black.

Charlie looked unaffected, "So what exactly do we do now, mate?"

Locke grimaced, "Now, Charlie, we figure out who's building that thing, and we give them a little push."


	13. Past Meetings

_**PENNY'S BOAT**_

_**CHAPTER 13: PAST MEETINGS**_

Jack stood over the unconscious man laying in the sick bay. Ray had said that Martin would be fine, but would probably have trouble walking for a while. He was lucky to have been wearing so much padding, otherwise his kneecap might have been shattered. Ray had also noted that the healing process had seemed unnaturally fast at first, but had slowed down as the freighter's journey went on.

Jack sat down on a chair by the door and put his head in his hands. _What is he doing here? I thought all of that was behind me. I thought once I got out of Thailand they'd…_

Martin moaned. Jack stood and walked to the bed. The mercenary's eyes slowly opened and he stared up at Jack for a moment before reaching out and clasping Jack's neck in his hands.

Martin squeezed tightly, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Jack was standing in the street. Cars and bicycles flashed by as he walked toward the club. It was the same place he'd met Achara three times this month. She seemed to go there for inspiration. He had no idea what for though. _How long can I go on living this twisted dream?_ He wondered to himself.

The nightclub's name was unreadable to Jack, but he walked in past the bouncer anyway and scanned the crowd for Achara. She was nowhere to be found. As he turned to walk out, a large figure shoved him back in.

"I've seen you here a lot lately, friend." The man's gruff voice stated menacingly.

Jack recoiled, "Where I go is my business."

The man leaned in and grabbed Jack by the collar. He lifted him clean off his feet and into the air.

"I don't like your tone."

"I don't like you."

Jack cringed as a fist crashed into his ribs and he fell to the floor. The blow was like being hit by a car and Jack found himself unable to get up. A kick followed up the punch and he was knocked further away from his attacker.

The man leaned down and looked Jack in the eye, "You don't want a taste of destiny, my friend. She told me I'd be a great warrior. Do you know how much pain I've caused because of this mark?" The man swept his sleeve aside, revealing a tattoo, "Don't let her drag you into this. You've still got a choice. Well… Not really. I'm making this choice for you." He leaned in and he and Jack's eyes were an inch apart, "Leave this place and never come back or I'll kill you."

Jack spat, "Who the hell are you?"

The man frowned, "Name's Martin Keamy. Let's hope you never hear it again."

_CRACK!_

"What the heck is goin' on in here?" Frank demanded. He ran over to the bed and forced Martin away from Jack with a grunt. He looked from Jack to Martin and back again.

Jack stood staring at Martin, "I know this guy."

Frank frowned, "What are you talkin' about?"

Martin coughed, "I see you didn't listen to me, Jack. Stupid. Now we're both going to hell."

Jack tilted his head in confused interest. A hint of bitterness showed through the expression, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you're a marked man now. Just like me. Achara really did a number on the both of us I guess." Martin laughed, but the laugh masked the sort of pain that a man sitting on death row feels when he knows he's done wrong.

Jack stepped forward and leaned in, "How do you know her? What did she-?"

"Tell me? She told me I was a warrior. A hunter. She told me I'd kill many men and die on the battlefield. I loved her for it. I reveled in the bloodshed and I've never looked back. But… there's always been this feeling…"

"What feeling?"

"The feeling that maybe my life wouldn't be this way if she hadn't marked me. Did my life make the mark or did the mark make my life? I don't know, Jack. I really don't know. That's why I tried to stop you that night in Phuket. Because I knew that if you were marked, you'd start running down that same road of destiny and you'd never be able to go back. She told you that you'd be a great man. I assume she neglected to mention that you'd end up on some godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere."

"Yeah, she left out that bit. I just got another ass-kicking."

Martin turned away and looked out the porthole, "It's been nice talking to you. It's a shame you'll be dead before you ever get home."

Jack's expression hardened, "What the hell is going on here? What do you mean?"

Martin smiled a toothy grin, completely devoid of genuine emotion, "There's a man. His name's Widmore. He wants you dead. All of you. Especially your little boyfriend, Desmond."

"Why would you tell me this?"

"Because I don't give a damn. I'm not gonna be able to off you while strapped into a bed am I? There's no reason to keep it to myself anymore. Just keep a close eye on your friends, Jack. Even I've got no idea if one or more of them work for Widmore."

"Why does he want us dead, Keamy?"

Martin reached for Jack. For a moment Jack thought he was trying to attack again, but he realized the mercenary was gesturing for him to come closer. Reluctantly he did.

Martin whispered in his ear, "Because you've seen too much."

* * *

Juliet watched the passengers file toward Mr. Abbadon. One by one, he wrote a note on his clipboard and let them go. Sometimes he asked a few questions or commented that a family member or friend was waiting for them back home, but mostly he just nodded and waved them away.

Juliet silently prayed that he wouldn't pay her much attention. She went over her cover in her head over and over. _Shannon Rutherford from California. In Australia with a man named… dammit… Brian! I was a-_

"Name?" Matthew asked. Juliet realized she'd come to the front of the line and began to panic. She counted to five in her head and tried to calm down.

"Shannon Rutherford."

"Ah, yes, Ms. Rutherford. Your stepmother helped finance this expedition. I'm told your brother is onboard?"

"Uh… Yeah. Boone. He's with Mr. Widmore on the top deck."

"Well it's good to see you alright, Ms. Rutherford." Abbadon leaned in and a dark tone replaced his previous amiability, "I hope your good health continues."

Juliet smiled nervously and nodded, "Yeah. Me too." She stepped away slowly until out of sight, then began running toward the brig.

* * *

Kate walked quickly, keeping up with Charlie and Locke. Locke seemed determined to get to the mountains at the center of the island, but Charlie was nonchalantly striding along without any real motivation. Kate pondered the strange change in his demeanor. _One minute he's funny, happy-go-lucky Charlie, and now he's all… uncaring? Is that it? He was always mellow, but this is downright detached. And Locke… He's definitely up to something. What's going on here?_

Locke paused and looked around. He sniffed the air for a moment and gestured for Kate and Charlie to halt. Kate glanced about in confusion, "What?"

Locke put a finger to his lips and gave her a stern look. He slowly picked up a rock and pitched it into the woods.

"Aw! Son of a bitch!" A familiar voice shouted in pain.

Kate smiled, "Sawyer? Thank God you're alright."

Sawyer stepped out from the trees, followed closely by Miles, "Well well. If it ain't Freckles and the Hobbit."

He gestured to Locke, "But you, Colonel Kurtz? You got some explainin' to do."


	14. The Mission

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: The mysterious "project" will involve a small crossover with one of my favorite video games. No worries though, whether you've played it or not, this will make sense to you._

_**PENNY'S BOAT**_

_**CHAPTER 14: THE MISSION**_

Widmore's associates stepped out of the room one by one. Paik, Mittelwerk, Heatherton, and the rest had gathered for a discussion of unity and synergy in their respective branches of the nebulous organization that had slowly formed under Charles' watchful eye. Their company controlled medical supplies, vehicles, PMCs, an innumerable number of Widmore Industries employees had infiltrated every sector of business. Most notably, Oceanic Airlines.

Charles turned his chair away from the conference table and looked out the window at the clouds rolling in. He'd relocated back to London after his business in Los Angeles. _All the pieces are set. The game begins. All I must ask now is, am I player or pawn?_

The phone rang and Widmore flipped it open and put it to his ear, "Speak."

"It's Zoe, Mr. Widmore. I'm calling to report that the project is now 75% complete. Growth was accelerated at the rate Edmund predicted. At this point we're focusing on outfitting them."

"How long will this take?"

"We should have it done within a month, give or take a few days. Sir, has Dr. Burke been re-recruited yet? We used her research to advance this project without her knowledge for so long, but we need her direct input to ensure the further-"

"Just get it done, Zoe. If the operatives currently on the job fail, I'll need your work finished, packaged, and ready for action. Dr. Burke will be apprehended soon."

"Yes, Mr. Widmore."

Charles ended the call.

Jack sat atop a shipping container, watching the sun go down on the freighter's final day at sea. He'd been informed by Penny that the boat would reach Tahiti within 10 hours. He prayed that nothing further would disturb their voyage. _I just want to get home, get everything dealt with, and have some rest.__Is that so much to ask?_

Jack turned at the sound of someone ascending the side of the container. He smiled as he realized it was Juliet and helped her up onto the massive crate. She sat down next to him and looked at the setting sun.

"You sure you're okay to be climbing around like that?" Jack asked with concern.

"You sure you're not going to pick any more fights with crazy mercenary people?" Juliet responded sarcastically.

Jack laughed, "Well you win some, you lose some."

Juliet smiled wryly, "You lose some to a guy with seven bullets in him?"

Jack rubbed his neck, "Well I guess I'm not as much of a tough guy as I used to be." He turned to look at his companion, "So, what's the first thing you're going to do once we get home?"

Juliet didn't need to think, "I'm going to go see my sister and nephew in Miami."

Jack was surprised, "You never told me you had a sister."

"I never told you a lot of things."

"True enough. You know what I'm going to do?"

"What?"

"I'm going to call up everyone who ever bad-mouthed the Red Sox and talk some serious smack."

Juliet laughed. She found it strange that half their shared experiences had occurred with a glass wall separating them, yet they still managed to be so close. It was nice to talk genuinely to someone.

Jack tapped the surface of the container, "So… Now that it's all over, now that we're free and clear… What exactly was it that you people were doing on that island?"

Juliet stared out at the sea, "I honestly don't know. I was recruited by a company called Mittelos Bioscience. Turns out there is no Mittelos Bioscience. Richard and Ethan drugged me, strapped me into a submarine, and brought me to the island. From then on I did my work, didn't ask any questions, and kept my head down. It seemed like… No."

"What?"

"Well it almost seemed like they weren't even sure what they were doing. Like they'd walked into a room and forgotten why they'd come in. They kept searching the room, but they didn't know what they were looking for. Understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. Seems to me that Ben reported to some higher power who wasn't giving him the whole story."

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay."

Juliet was surprised, "What?"

Jack grinned, "I said 'Okay'. Whatever went on on the island, whatever your people wanted or whatever that crazy smoke thing was, it's all over now. Now we can just go back to our real lives."

Juliet sighed, "No, Jack. I don't think what happened on that island will ever really be over."

Silently, the pair watched the last traces of the sun vanish. Despite their proximity to salvation, they knew they still had a long road ahead of them.

Sawyer waved the gun at Locke, "I saw you die, you crazy son of a bitch. How the hell are you still breathing?"

Locke raised his hands toward Sawyer non-threateningly, "The island wasn't done with me yet, James. You've seen what this place can do. It brought us here for goodness sake! This is our destiny."

Sawyer wasn't satisfied, "Our plane crashed here by pure chance, Baldy. Ain't no such thing as destiny. Unless you got a real good reason for me to trust the man who took away our first real chance to get off this rock, I'm taking Freckles and Shorty and getting out of here."

Kate turned to Sawyer, "I think maybe we should trust him for now, Sawyer. He's our best chance of getting home."

Sawyer frowned, "And how's he gonna do that?"

"We're going to find the Dharma Initiative." Locke responded nonchalantly, "And if we want to do that, we'd better get moving."

Kate gave Sawyer a glance and shrugged. He looked from Locke to Charlie and back again before nodding, "So what's the plan?"

Locke gestured to the north, "Through the jungle and over the mountains we'll find the reason our plane went down. The _real _reason."

Sawyer wasn't convinced, "How could you possibly know that?"

"That's not important right now," John insisted, "All that matters is that we get there."

Kate looked at Charlie questioningly. He didn't even acknowledge her. She looked at the ground as she followed James and John. _This just gets weirder and weirder._

Martin awoke with a start. A menacing figure loomed over him. A figure with a twisted grin carved into it's grotesque face.

"Hello there." The clown taunted. Martin tried to hit him, but found his limbs were still bound to the bed.

"You the new blood?" Keamy asked with a snarl. He shifted his wrists, trying to break free of his restraints.

The Joker slipped a small knife from his pocket, "No, my friend, I think you are."

Keamy tried to speak, but found he could make only a small gasp as his throat split in two.

A message came in through the Joker's walkie, "_Sub departing for target location in 90 seconds. All not aboard will be left behind._"

"Can't have that, now can we?" The maniacal mercenary giggled.


	15. Empty Answers

_**PENNY'S BOAT**_

_**CHAPTER 15: EMPTY ANSWERS**_

Kate watched her mother pace back and forth, stopping and staring out the window from time to time, but generally moving in the same circle over and over. Her behavior was becoming frightening.

_This is my friend, Wayne, Katie. He's coming to stay for a while._ She'd lied. He hadn't stayed for a while. In fact he hadn't left. He looked at Kate from time to time with an expression of pure hatred. She couldn't comprehend why.

Diane stopped pacing and walked toward the doorway, "Katie I know you're there. Come out darlin'."

Kate stepped slowly through the door to meet her mother. Diane was sitting on the couch now, trying to smile. She waved Kate over.

"Did I do something wrong?" Kate asked.

"No, honey." Diane answered with all the warmth she could muster.

"Then why does he hate me?"

"Because…" Diane paused and looked down at the floor, "…Because _I_ did something wrong."

"You did?"

"Yes, Katie, I did. Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"Why would I think you're a bad person?"

"Oh don't… don't pay me any mind, dear."

Kate stared at her mother, now upset and confused. She'd come to her with questions and she wasn't finding the answers she felt she deserved. She got up off the couch and walked toward the door.

"Don't hate me." Diane begged.

Kate turned her head, but didn't go back. There were no answers here. Just more emptiness. She'd felt enough of that. An emptiness that couldn't be filled with anything other than the truth.

Kate could barely believe her eyes. Ahead stood four towers, each emerging from the ground about a quarter of a kilometer from the other. They were connected to another, central tower that dwarfed the smaller four.

"What is this?" She asked.

Charlie gave a mocking smile, "Well it's not bloody Big Ben is it?"

Locke gestured for Charlie to be quiet, "This, Kate, is what we're looking for. Do you remember what we found in the Swan station? What Desmond was protecting?"

"You mean what was behind that wall of concrete?"

"Exactly. I believe the people manning this station may be able to lead us to it. To the light that I saw in the eyes of the beast."

Miles rolled his eyes, "Look, nutjob, I've got primary protocol right here," He pulled a small booklet from his backpack and waved it, "The channeling station hasn't been operational in years."

Sawyer jabbed him, "For such a smartass you sure are an idiot. That wheel sent us time travelin' remember? We could be anytime right now."

Locke grinned, "Precisely. Now how about you give me that book, Miles?"

Miles held the booklet away, "Why would I do that?"

Locke held out his hand, "Because if you do, I can tell you what made you the way you are. I can tell you where you _came from._"

Miles looked conflicted, confused, and angry, "What made me like this? How could you- UGH!" He grabbed his head and fell to the ground, screaming in agony, "OH GOD! THEY'RE ALL DEAD! THE WHISPERS… THE WHISPERS ARE SCREAMS!"

Kate tried to pick Miles up from the ground, "What's wrong?" She turned to Locke, "What's happening to him?"

Locke frowned, "I had hoped we wouldn't need to see this. Miles has a secret. A power unlike anything you've ever seen."

Miles was shaking in terror, "Don't you dare tell them what I am! Oh God! What is this?"

Locke looked down in pity, "This, Miles, is the borderline between life and death. A line I've walked for many, _many_ years. You're experiencing an… evolution of your powers."

Sawyer shoved Locke, "You're talkin' nonsense, Baldie! What the hell does this mean?"

Locke turned in a circle, staring through the jungle, "It means, James…" The trees began to rustle wildly, "…that we need an exit strategy."

Claire and Hurley sat at the edge of the ship, watching the water pass by. They had only four hours left until they made port. It was a strange experience and Hurley found himself with butterflies in his stomach.

"So… Where do you go next?" He asked in interest and mild concern. Claire continued to stare out at the ocean, looking quite troubled.

"I'm not sure…" She responded, "…I had meant to go to Los Angeles and give Aaron up for adoption, but I can't bring myself to do it now. Not after all we've been through." She looked over at Sun and Charlotte, who were playfully teasing Aaron.

Hurley smiled reassuringly, "Look, Claire, if you ever need _anything_, I've got you covered. How about this, I'll pay for you to stay in LA."

Claire was obviously shocked, "Hurley you aren't- That's too-"

Hurley waved his hand dismissingly, "It's no prob. I've got _way _more money than I want or need and it'll be nice to give something to a friend. Maybe this is my way of paying back Charlie for saving our butts back there."

Claire didn't know what to say, but smiled warmly at Hurley in gratitude. She felt a hundred times better knowing that she'd have a fresh start upon rescue and that she had such a caring friend.

Jack, Juliet and Daniel stood behind the shipping container reading a booklet titled, "Secondary Protocol". The book was marked with a Dharma Initiative logo and contained instructions for Dharma members in case of emergency. Daniel had insisted Jack and Juliet take a look (each having seen the events on the island from a different perspective) and give their opinions. It seemed he was writing up a book of all available information on the Initiative.

Jack's brow creased as he perused the pages of the Secondary Protocol, it was all extremely complicated, and repeatedly referenced something called "the pocket" and an "Orchid Station".

"I really don't understand this… And what I do understand seems crazy." Jack told Daniel as he handed the booklet back.

Juliet frowned, "A lot of it sounded vaguely familiar, but I was left in the dark on almost everything while I was amongst the natives. What do you think it all means?"

Daniel rubbed his forehead, he seemed to do that a lot due to a mix of anxiety and confusion, "It appears that this… is a series of instructions on how to cause the island to shift in time and space."

Jack stepped forward, "What does that mean?"

Daniel gave a slightly exasperated smile, "It means that the other survivors are alive, but lost."

Jack looked into the sky, deep in though, "You mean _more_ lost. We should go back for them."

Juliet bit her lip, "Back to what, Jack? The island is gone. We watched it vanish."

Jack looked down at her and tried to hide his nervousness, "Then there's not much we can do, is there? Right now I guess we're just going to have to focus on getting the people we've got here home safely. Daniel's friend and Sawyer can deal with anything that happens on the island. I suppose this… Straume guy is trained?"

Daniel nodded, "We all got basic military training when Penelope hired us. For safety's sake in case we ran into… uh…"

Juliet smiled, "Into us?"

Daniel laughed anxiously, "Yeah. It almost sounds like a slur; Others. The Exotic Other. Classic psychology on the survivors' part really. I would love to examine-"

Jack grabbed Daniel's shoulder, "Well, Dan, we'd better get going. We've got packing to do huh?"

Daniel chuckled, realizing he'd been rambling, "Yeah yeah, no problem."

Jack and Juliet began to walk away, but Jack suddenly turned, "Dan… If that's the secondary protocol… What's the primary one?"

Daniel looked around nervously, "The primary protocol is instructions for activating the island's…"

"The island's what?"

"Its self destruct mechanism."


End file.
